Nature’s Health Benefits It is widely accepted that time spent outdoors has both physical and psychological benefits. Yet, the average person spends nearly 87% of their time indoors and 7% of their time in vehicles. Put another way, most of us spend less than 5 hours per week in natural environments. This is a shame;… read more

In a day and age when technology reigns and face-to-face interactions have fallen by the wayside, spending time in the great outdoors has lost some of its popular appeal. Despite this, outdoor activities can play a major role in gaining and maintaining positive psychological health! By building communities with your fellow outdoorspeople, increasing your psychological… read more

In need of some relaxation? Clinician Erin McClearly, LICSW, recommends somatic resting techniques for those looking to decrease symptoms of stress. Somatic resting is any sort of relaxation related to our physiological functioning. Typically, it involves activating the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of our nervous system that relaxes our muscles, lowers our heart rate,… read more

Our bodies go through myriad changes as we age; in terms of stress, as we grow older, we are both exposed to new physical stressors and begin to handle those stressors in a different way. This post seeks to break down those stress-related changes and provide methods for coping with them. A New Response to… read more

Studies suggest that Floral Essences are a powerful adjunct to traditional therapy; while their effects tend to be more subtle than those of prescription medications, FEs have been known to reduce stress, anxiety, and low mood.

When we think about changing our behaviors to “get healthy,” we often imagine taking drastic actions like waking up at 5am to run 6 miles before work, cutting starchy breads and pastas from our diet, and trying out various juice cleanses. However, while all these activities could be helpful in moderation (if not entirely realistic),… read more

Wow, this summer has been a hot and sunny one! I hope everyone has had the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine, fresh air, and time outside. I know I look forward to my daily lunch breaks on the benches in Dupont Circle. The awesome part about the great outdoors is that nature positively impacts our… read more

If life is a film and individuals are the cameras, one thing is for sure: we love our close up shots. It’s easy to become enveloped in our own quotidian dramas, from miscommunications at the office to frustrating commutes. Yet which camera shots are more beautiful, the close ups of the actors’ angry faces or… read more